


Soulmark

by MarshaDecamiro



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Relationships, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, friends help make things better, get some heelys for some mild feelies, hunk is best boy and is beautiful beyond words, is really only briefly mentioned in chp. 5, lance ignores is feelings and obvious fingers of fate that point/direct him towards keith, lance is a bit of a pushover but he perks up after a bit, shiro is mentioned very briefly in chp. 4, tattoos are what will be used in here though, which is probably shallura
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-08-28 18:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8456422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshaDecamiro/pseuds/MarshaDecamiro
Summary: Lance would never forget the day his mark appeared. He would also never forget the day he learned who his soulmate was. Or of how much of an idiot he is at putting his actual real feeling into words. Or the hurt that comes afterwards when asked why he covered it and made Keith feel as if he regret being his.  Basically just snip-it's of Lance learning how to deal with his soulmate mark. With Keith joining him somewhere along the way to deal with it as well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this was a little post on my tumblr side blog (@cicad-aaaaaaaah), but putting it here to keep it in one area. Just a bunch of snip-it's right now I might add more to it later since I have more idea's for it, but I need to get more psych work done because my midterm is next week and I'm screaming. Also I suck at coming up with a fancy name. 
> 
> This is all being posted in it's rawest form so I'll see if I can get a friend to beta it later when we're not all screaming or dying from our college assignments. Here's to getting this first work for this series and klance to be shared with others! I'm going to go crawl back into my hole to study for psych.
> 
> update: A big thank you to Gellibean95's comment! I was in such a rush to refocus on my psychology work that I forgot to click the multichapter option lol. Thank you very much for leaving that comment!

[ the mark ] 

Lance would never forget the day his mark appeared. He was in the fourth grade, school had just gotten out for the day and Lance was playing with his siblings in the backyard later that Friday evening. Yelling and having a good time, but his neck started to burn, then the itching started. Lance asked his older sibling to watch the younger ones while he went to the bathroom to change his clothes and deal with a possible bug bite. 

Standing on the stepping stool in front of the bathroom he and his siblings shared Lance grabbed his sister’s mirror and using the bigger one behind him to see what was wrong with his neck. He was shocked, the mirror dropped right out of his hand making a clattering noise on the tiled floor. A wave of emotions hit him all at once. He started sobbing, drawing the attention of his mother who opened the door to check on him. 

Like any mother she asked him what was wrong, waiting until a weight had lifted off of his heart he looked up at his mother. A smile on his face as he showed her his mark. Soon she was crying right along with him.

[ hiding ] 

Lance fell in love with his soul-mark. Two simple circles. One red and the other one being blue. Where the two circles overlapped one another was tinted purple on the inside. Call him simple or call him a fool in love, but Lance found those two tiny little red and blue circles to be the most beautiful thing in the world. To other’s not so much. 

His mark was seen as something out of the ordinary. Something that others should antagonize him for allowing others to see the beauty in something so simplistic as his soulmate tattoo. 

His mark made him an outcast. It made Lance feel as if he should cease to exist, when in fact it should make him feel more loved than anything else in the world should make him feel, but that love grew into fear. Fear for how others saw such a precious thing and reduced it to nothing, but an ugly smudge of red, blue and purple on his skin. 

Applying the foundation given to him by his sister Lance never so ashamed by his own actions than he did when the first bit of foundation touched the back of his neck. He never felt so alone or empty after those beautiful circles were no longer visible. He wondered if his soulmate felt the same way.

[ liar ] 

Several years had gone by after Lance started hiding his soul-mark. He would sometimes catch himself scratching at the foundation covering his mark absentmindedly. Lance would sometimes berate himself for doing so, but he would often just rest the palm of his hand against the back of his neck and he could just feel those two little circles as if they were not covered at all. As if they were as being shown as proudly to the world as they were when the two little red and blue circles first appeared. Back when he was naive enough to believe that other's could see how beautiful the two circles were just like he could. 

Lance was lucky that upon joining the garrison that their uniforms covered the back of their necks so well. Meaning that Lance didn't have to worry as much as before about his sudden interest in clothes that covered the back of his neck or how often he would need to buy foundation to hide the two little circles from the public eye. He was often asked if his soul-mark had yet to appear, but he always laughed and told the other's that yes while it had appeared it was on the inside of his thigh where others couldn't see it. 

A place where only his soulmate would see it. 

The other's would coo about how romantic it was. A place where one's soulmate would be the only one to see it. Some disagreed saying that the only way it would be seen is if the two engaged the other in some sort of sexual matter. Lance was such a liar, and his words tasted like ash in his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first of I'm really surprised that something small like this that I have zero confidence in actually received views. Second thank you all so much for your comments and kudos on chapter one! Those little things (mostly your comments) were a really big part of making my day better after reading them. Here's to having my fingers crossed that I do not disappoint any of you with these updates. Sorry if this one does it was hard to get my thoughts and a way to show Lance's feelings out properly. D:
> 
> Also if you'd like to see any sort of interactions or toss me a word prompt for this feel free to toss one at me on my tumblr or in a comment or something. Here's to getting this posted while I'm happy with my grade on my psych work and for Sun and Moon's NA release date being just 14 days away from today!!! Still learning what I should tag in this fic though. I'm not knowledgeable about what tags should be used for what when posting an update.

[ alone ] 

Lance for the most part saw himself as a decent guy to be around. Even with the funny man personality he learned to use after taking drama class in high school he lacked anyone to really be close with during the first few months at the garrison. He could talk to his classmates, interact with them and even do some pretty stupid things with them, but even so he really didn't have anyone he could actually talk to. He didn't have anyone that he felt comfortable enough to be himself around. So he just kept at it with the persona he had created for himself, but even then a persona is only as good as the one who uses it. 

Lance soon learned that he wasn't a very good pilot at all. 

He would have a lot to learn before he would ever be able to leave the garrison. Maybe he'd even be stuck here for the rest of his life. And when other's learned this the people he surrounded himself with that funny man persona slowly started to drift away from him one by one until Lance was left sitting on his bunk looking out at the starry night sky. Running his fingertips over his hidden soul-mark, his eyes burning slightly and the feeling of his teeth biting into his bottom lip. He felt as alone as the day he decided to hide his soul-mark from the world. He could fix this, he could stop hiding it, but he didn't. 

And Lance had no one, but himself to blame for making himself feel so alone and isolated from his peers.

[ beautiful ] 

Completely fresh out the shower where one should feel relaxed and happy with the feeling of clean skin Lance was not. Lance was freaking out. 

He couldn't find the foundation that he uses to cover his soul-mark so he was tearing apart the small locker each cadet at the garrison had been given for their personal objects. Praying that he hadn't somehow lost it. The mantra of 'please be in here' replayed over and over again while digging around trying to find it. He had to cover his mark. He had to hide it from everyone. He couldn't let others see it and reduce it to nothing, but a smudge again. He had to keep it a secret and he had to keep it safe. 

The feeling of a hand tapping on his shoulder caused Lance to recoil slightly from the touch. The owner of the hand was left hanging in an empty space where Lance's shoulder once was. The owner looked confused before their face changed into one of apologize. 

"Sorry didn't mean to startle you. I tried getting your attention several times, but I guess you didn't hear me." The voice and person was familiar to Lance. It was Hunk Garrett one of his fellow classmates at the garrison and a member of his squad for training exercises. A peaceful and easy to get along with sort of dude. Apparently he was known for getting sick easily whenever he was in the flight simulator, but the reputation of puking after each flight never seemed to get the big loveable guy down. 

"It's okay. Sorry for ignoring you I'm just looking for something." Lance replied, drawing his shoulders as close to his neck as he could to hide his soul-mark from the slim possibility of Hunk seeing it.

"What are you looking for? Maybe I can help?" Hunk speaking drew Lance's attention back to his classmate. Hunk stood there patiently waiting for Lance to tell him what he was looking for. His body language was relaxed, and his eyes held a gentle sort of glow to them similar to what he would often see when his mother's own gaze. Biting the inside of his mouth Lance sighed and told Hunk that he was looking for a small compact case of foundation. Hunk didn't ask why Lance was tearing his locker apart for a compact, but turned around and started looking around the locker room as well. 

Lance returning to looking in his locker, but this time in a less frantic way as before. Taking things out of his locker one by one with shaky hands to look through his things one by one. Lance heard an excited exclamation from Hunk, and the sound of footsteps walking towards.

"I found your compac- is this your soulmark Lance?" 

Lance was frozen in place, his mind was a mess. He saw it. Hunk saw it. He saw his soul-mark. The words from the ghost of his past returned in full force. Their hurtful words about his soul-mark, how it wasn't normal for a human to have such a simple and plain looking mark. How his mark should have been much more like a puzzle. How it should look more like what his parents and fellow classmates have. Half of a mark would make his soulmates into a whole, but this one would not. It was just two little circles that couldn't complete anything. Just two little useless red and blue circles that had neither an ending or beginning to the other. Lance's left hand slapped down on the back of his neck. He wouldn't let someone else see his own soul-mark as something less than what it should bee seen as. 

"Yeah so what if it is? No need to say anything about it I've already heard all of the insults in the book." was his reply while turning around and snatching the compact out of Hunk's hand before turning his back to him to place his things neatly back into his locker. A heavy uncomfortable silence hung between the two of them. 

"It's beautiful." was the only thing Lance heard before Hunk's footsteps became further and further away from him. Only after hearing the door shut did Lance turn around and look at where Hunk was standing before he left. 

It's Beautiful. 

Beautiful. 

Lance felt his eyes starting to burn and a sob slowly creeping it's way past his lips. Running his fingers over his soul-mark and feeling the two little circles not hidden by the foundation made his sobbing grow even louder. Somebody called his soul-mark beautiful. Finally someone else saw what he saw. 

How his soul-mark which is so simple in it's design was beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lance probably cried for the rest of the night after hunk told him that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for so many kudos, comments and for the bookmarks on this story. I'm happy that this little fic which in it's truest un'beta'd form is still able to be enjoyed by others. It really does make me happy to see something I was so scared to post be liked by others. So thank you and here's to the chapters getting better and better. 
> 
> It's almost 4 in the morning here in CST. I can't sleep so here enjoy an update because I really want to play Alpha Sapphire and keep the thought of my Psychology Midterm as far away from my thoughts as I can.

[ though ] 

Lance's mark felt itchy. Similar to how a scab over a wound or a bug bite would feel to others. There was a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach, the feeling in the pit of his stomach could be compared to feeling as if he had disappointed his mother. To put how he was feeling into simpler terms Lance felt really, really bad for how he treated Hunk.

Lance has replayed that day over and over again in his mind. Looking to see if he could have handled the situation in a different way, but... Hunk had seen it. He'd seen his soul-mark and Lance reacted. Immediately throwing up his defenses in the form of sharp and quick to the points. Letting Hunk know that all conversation with him after seeing it wouldn't happen. How he let such an uncomfortable silence hang between the two of them. How his words could have hurt the other, but Hunk did not act like the others had. 

He hadn't called his soul-mark anything, but beautiful.

Lance didn't even give Hunk a chance to speak. He took any and all openings that Hunk could have used to get through to him by shutting those openings with heavy metal doors that he wouldn't open again until he so desired for those doors to be opened again. That is if Lance even allowed for those doors to open again at all. Lance tasted the coppery tang of blood in his mouth, he hadn't realized that he was biting his bottom lip. Tearing the soft flesh there and allowing a red similar to the one on his neck to flow from his lip. 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he'd apologize to Hunk and thank him for helping him. And... for calling his soul-mark beautiful.

[ friend ] 

Apologizing is easier said than done. 

This is something that Lance has just realized when standing in front of Hunk's bunk. Apologizing to someone else proved to be more difficult to him than his own family. Who loved him for better or worst. Through thick and thin. Even with his constant two steps forward and one step back progress with his soul-mark. Knowing that the torment Lance experienced he would need time to recover. Time to see his mark in a different light after the treatment he received from others whose words were meant to hurt him and drag him down. Which worked, because Lance was hurt in body, spirit and mind. 

Give him space, give him time and help him when it was needed. Those were his mother's words. Her usual soft gaze was non existent at that moment, it was replaced by one that was sharp and to Lance foreign to see in his mother's eyes. But after seeing her son so hurt to the point that he felt as if he needed to hide his soul-mark, something that brought him tears of joy when it appeared to now bring tears of sadness to his eyes... his mother wouldn't allow for other's to pass any sort of judgment on him.

"Lance? You okay? Do you need something?" a familiar voice spoke from behind him, causing Lance to jump a bit and pushing all thoughts of his mother far away from his mind. Standing behind him was Hunk. Dressed in their bright orange garrison uniform, his expression a mix of confusion and worry. 

"Um. I. Well I wanted to..." Lance couldn't get the words he wanted to say. His mouth had become impossibly dry in that moment. His breathing felt a bit erratic, he didn't want to be here anymore. I had to escape, he had to get away. His mark. Was his mark covered. Lance's mind was a mess, but his world became a little bit dimmer in mere seconds. He was no longer looking at Hunk, but at the inside of their garrison uniform jacket. 

"Sorry, but you can talk to me from under there if that'll help you out some Lance. First breath just a little bit, gather your thoughts and then try talking." Hunk spoke to him in a soothing tone, similar to one that his mother often used to calm he and his siblings down on several occasions. May it be from a simple little cut. A broken toy. A fight between their friends or even amongst themselves. A soothing tone, a shoulder to cry on and an ear that was open and willing to listen. 

"I-I'm sorry." Lance's voice was shaky, but he had to let Hunk know that he was the one in the wrong not him. That he had dealt with Hunk seeing his soul-mark horribly. That instead of being cruel to him he should be thanking him. Thanking him for helping him to find his compact without question, for telling him that his soul-mark is beautiful, for just being... for just being a kind person. A chuckle from Hunk made all of Lance's thoughts come to a screeching halt. 

"You're a surprisingly sensitive person you know that Lance." Hunk asked, Lance heard a small chuckle slip passed his lips. He couldn't see Hunk, but he would assume that the big guy was smiling right now. 

"I was thinking aloud wasn't I?" Lance asked from underneath Hunk's jacket. 

"Yep." Hunk replied, at that moment Lance wasn't sure if he should feel ashamed or proud of himself for getting his feelings out into the open. 

"I really am sorry though Hunk. I'm sorry for acting the way I did. Thank you for helping me out the other day," Lance paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts once more before speaking again "It wouldn't be much, but is there anything I can do as an apology? Maybe go out to the town and hook you up with a date? Or some fast food? There's a really great burger joint in town that I li-" 

"Let's be friends." Hunk interrupted him, causing Lance to remove the jacket that Hunk had let him use earlier to hide behind. 

"Excuse me? Could you repeat that please?" Lance couldn't believe his own ears, he had to ask Hunk to repeat what he said. 

"Let's be friends." Hunk just stood there smiling. What he asked him before hadn't changed. He was asking for Lance to be his friend. Asking him of all people to be his friend. There Hunk was standing in front of him in that same relaxed posture from their first encounter several days ago. The same gentle glow as well, but this time an unspoken determination behind that glow. Hunk wouldn't take no for an answer, and even if he did Lance was sure that he would continue trying to be friends with him. 

Let's be Friends. 

That his answer wouldn't change regardless of how many times Lance would ask for him to repeat the question. The word made Lance's vision become bleary. The tell tale stinging sensation of tears, a feeling that he'd grown accustomed to was back. It had been so long since Lance had heard those words. So long since someone had said those words to him and meant it. So long since someone else wanted to be his friend. Odd how such a simple little word can make you feel like the greatest thing on the Earth, but also be the same thing that can tear you down. The word was simple, but beautiful in what came along with it. Just like his soul-mark. 

Simple in it's two little circle design, but beautiful in the sheer amount of love and hope it could give someone. 

Friends. 

This time Lance didn't cry because he was sad. This time he didn't cry all alone on his bunk when the others were asleep or whenever he was skipping class. Because this time he had someone with him. A shoulder to cry on, an ear that was open and willing to listen to him. A soothing voice that did not hold the same tone as his mother's, but was still comforting to him nonetheless. Because he had a friend. Because this meant that he wasn't as alone as he was before. 

That thought alone brought a smile to his tear-stained features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey, hey we're almost out of the garrison! This next chapter or the one after it should get us out of the garrison and to the events of the first episode of VLD!!! But for that to happen I need to actually figure out if I should have a chance encounter with Keith/Lance. Should I do a chance meeting for Keith/Lance or should I just go on ahead with the events of VLD?? 
> 
> Sun and Moon's NA release date is getting closer and I'm so excited. I'm ready to make the WWE cat my starter. Me and WWE cat shall take on the world by storm. Just the two of us, a mic and a metal folding chair. The ring shall appear wherever he is at. WWE cat is the real star of Sun and Moon. He's going to do the chicken wing arm pull thing to the Sun Lion and win. #WWECatForBestStarter2k16


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that I was swamped with assignment's that I had to finish and I wanted to make my town look nicer in Animal Crossing before I was lost to Sun and Moon hahahahaAHAHAH. Sorry if anything's wrong my memory is really fuzzy with the whole Pidge becoming a part of the garrison trio, but I'm too tired to turn on my tv and watch the episode.
> 
> Also, another BIG thank you to all of the comments and kudos on this fic while I was away! I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter and thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this, leave a comment or a kudo! I hope that everyone enjoys reading this chapter!

[ changes ] 

After befriending Hunk that's when Lance slowly started to notice the changes in his personality and some of his habits. He was acting more like the Lance his family knows and love as opposed to the Lance he often used amongst others. 

Weird how Hunk managed to partially snap him out of what he was doing. Something that not even his own family or other's who tried to help him could do. Just a kind person who stood next to him, with an open ear and a shoulder, to cry on if needed. Hunk was kind of like the right brand of band-aid and balm that he needed. Lance didn't cover up his soul-mark when he was around Hunk. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this comfortable with showing off his soul-mark, but for some reason, it lifted a large weight off of his shoulders.

[ encounter ] 

Lance's first encounter with Keith was quite frankly annoying. Out of everyone in the entire garrison, why did he have to be standing right next to him? His soul-mark was tingling, buzzing with some sort of unknown excitement. Every time Lance found himself leaning towards Keith's direction, or enjoying the scent of whatever he put on before class Lance mentally berated himself. Lance cursed his luck for having to stand right next to him for morning roll call while he and Hunk were taking their trays to the same trash bin that Keith was walking towards. 

Lance's nerves felt on edge, he couldn't keep his legs from moving opting to tilt back and forth on the heels of his feet while Hunk cast him worried glances and asking if he was okay or if he should be taken to the nurse's office. Lance quietly replied that no he was okay, just excited at the thought of doing the flight simulator later today. 

"I doubt that you'll ever pass one of these flight simulations cargo pilot." 

The hair on the back of Lance's neck stood on end, Keith had heard him and put his own two cents about his skills at piloting a ship. Throwing his trash into the trash bin before walking away. 

"Hey, Kogane the 70's are calling! They want their mullet back!" Lance yelled, feeling confident that he would be able to get a reaction out of Keith, but the dumb mullet head didn't even give him a second glance. 

If Lance didn't realize that his mark had stopped tingling until Keith had long left the cafeteria.

[ expulsion + new addition ] 

Lance couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy. Keith had been expelled from the garrison, meaning that two good things had come out of it. 

One Lance now had a real shot at becoming an actual pilot, just like the famous Shiro who many looked up to. Two his mark would stop that persistent tingling whenever he and Keith managed to be near one another. Lance was so happy that after reading that he couldn't help, but do a little dance, but when Hunk read the name Pidge Gunderson did he stop dancing. 

"Who's that?" 

"I'm Pidge Gunderson." a voice answered for them, turning around Lance noticed that the voice belonged to a short brunet haired boy who is also wearing the garrison uniform. Big metal framed glasses were perched on his nose, he stood with an air of confidence that Lance both admired and found somewhat annoying. 

But after introducing himself, and Hunk introducing himself as well Lance invited this Pidge Gunderson to hang out with them. He looked as if he would have accepted his offer to hang out with them, but whatever his eyes hand landed on behind them caused those brown eyes too grow bigger, he turned tail and ran after saying that he was too busy to hang out with him. Turning around to see what could have scared him off it was just the most disliked teacher at the garrison. The kid was new here and he was already trying to avoid him. 

Smart move, but also kind of weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going into the actual first episode of VLD in the next chapter! I'm super excited because that's where all of my current work is at hahahahAHAHAHA.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while hasn't it? I'm upset that this update is so short but took me so long to post wth me?? I've gotta get my shit togeather with updates sorry to everyone who had to wait for this. :/ 
> 
> I have the end of the fic ready to go, it's just weeding through the middle bit where I trip up and scream.

[ the marks of others ] 

The first thing Lance realized when everyone was gathered at the Castle of Lion's is that everyone's Marks were different, unique and just as beautiful as they themselves were. Allura's Mark vaguely reminded him of the cherry blossoms that he would often see in the various animes that he and Hunk would watch togeather in the barracks in the dead of night. 

Her Mark created a halo of flowers around her head. As if a flower crown had delicately woven itself into her skin. Creating a beautiful contrast of colors that would immediately draw anyone's eyes to it. The loops of gold coloring that made up the branches of the tree, the pastel pink of the blooms made it seem as if one of those petals could fall off at any moment. The golden branches and pink petals made their way down her neck the rest hidden beneath her clothing. 

Coran's wasn't as noticeable nor as easily seen as Allura's, but when he removed his gloves and rolled his sleeves up while working Lance noticed white loops that created an intricate design on his arms. Lance first thought that the white lines were scars from some sort of accident or from before himself and Allura were put into the cryo pods, but after Coran caught him looking far too long he asked Lance if he was curious about his Marks. 

After assuring Lance that they were not in fact scars but his own Mark. Coran more often than not kept his covered since it was to avoid worrying anyone he was working with and realistically having his arms uncovered with his line of work. He proceeded to tell Lance the story of how he'd woken up and was just as concerned about his own Mark. Crying to his mother worried that the marks were not there the previous day, but just appearing today and his mother assured him that it was alright. Lance asked him if he ever met someone else with those same markings. A look of sadness was there for a split second but was replaced by the smile and cheer he'd come to associate with Coran. Coran assured him that his particular Marks were not uncommon many saw the plain lines looping around and creating detailed works like skates on ice. 

Coran said that these marks usually made a picture with another who shared his markings, but he'd yet to meet the one whose own marks finished his. Lance was sad after learning this, Coran was a really good guy. Someone he saw as an uncle of sorts for everyone on Voltron. It made him sad that Coran might never meet his other half due to events of the past. 

Fate is sometimes much crueler to other's than it needed to be, but Lance made a wish while looking to the stars outside the Castle of Lions. He wished for Coran and Allura to both meet their other halves.

[ gravitation ] 

Whenever everyone joined up to form Voltron the buzzing sensation on the back of his neck only grew even more annoying. Lance knew that it was connected to Keith in some way, but he didn't want to think about it. After every battle, training exercise or just anything in general that involved with Keith Lance ran away for a lack of better words. He would go to his room throw an arm over his eyes and try to will the buzzing sensation away. To ignore the pull that seemed to pull him and Keith togeather. 

It was almost as if Keith were the sun and he was a planet orbiting around him. Lance found himself pulled towards him on several occasions and sometimes Keith would gravitate towards him. A constant rotation. A push and a pull between the two of them resulting in them. Lance wanted nothing more than to break free of the pull he felt towards Keith, but at the same time, he wanted nothing more than to be close to him. 

Gravity is weird. Keith is weird. 

Everything is weird.

[ conversation ] 

Lance is unsure of how this conversation came into even begin, but he stood ram rod straght trying his best to not put his foot into his mouth while talking to Keith. About soulmates. About the very thing that they were, but not about them. Rather how Allura and Shiro might be soulmates. 

"Shiro has something similar to Allura's Marks on his arm... that is before he lost it." Keith sighed, carding his fingers through his hair before letting it go limp next to his side. Lance wasn't sure of what to say really. Not sure why Keith decided to just plop down next to him and start talking about soulmate's and how their leader figures were in some form possibly compatable. Not that Lance wasn't excited, if Allura and Shiro are soulmates then he's happy. All of the happy. The two of them deserved to be happy. Fate dealt them a pretty bad hand in life and they deserve to be happy. 

"So what your saying is you think that Shiro's Mark was a match to Allura's?"

"Yeah." 

"Dude how do you even know that? The rest of her Mark is underneath her clothe- Keith were you peeping on Allura?" Lance was slightly appaled at the idea of Keith peeping on Allura. Keith's face exploded in a bright red similar to his lion's color. 

"NO! I remember Shiro having a similar pattern to what we can visibally see on Allura!" Keith looked as if he were ready to get up and run away from embarassment. Lance had to admit that it was kind of nice to see him flustered and acting his own age. 

The buzzing sensation wasn't as annoying, it was a plesant happy buzzing.


	6. Chapter VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, only two snip-its for this update, but Lance does learn a thing.

[ pain ] 

The back of Lance's neck exploded in pain, everything around him suddenly felt far away. The searing white hot pain made him want to drop his weapon and just claw at the back of his suit to remove it, to see what might have caused such a sudden horrible burst of pain to appear out of nowhere, gritting his teeth togeather while he ducked behind cover rubbing the back of his neck as if it would soothe the pain. His head hurt, it felt as if someone had just taken a pipe and smashed it right into the back of his head. Taking deep breaths to calm himself Lance focused on the broken chatter over the comlink from his fellow Paladins. 

Their voices would be there one second, a static sound and then the voices would return. The battle with the Galra happened far too quickly for any of them to react in any way possible then to fight their way back to the Castle of Lions. Lance's thoughts were interrupted when Keith's voice came in over the comlinks, low and full of pain. 

"Guy's... I've been hit." 

Lance felt as if the pain at the back of his neck only became worse. His mouth was suddenly dry, the sound of the battle fading away while he focused on the sound of Keith's ragged breaths over the comlinks. The sound of Pidge screaming for someone to assist Keith, Shiro telling them to provide cover fire to take Keith to back to the castle so he could be placed into the cryo pods for healing. Everything was slowly becoming white noise to Lance, he couldn't move it felt like he couldn't breathe. The pain taking his breath away while he slowly started to lose his grip on reality until Hunk yelled at him over the comlinks. 

"Lance! You're the closest to Keith right now! Go and get him me, Pidge and Shiro will provide you cover alright?" 

"R-right! Moving now!" taking a moment to catch his breath Lance stood up on shaky legs while making his way to where Keith was. The pain on his neck being pushed to the back of his mind even though he wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and pray to whatever God would listen to him to take the pain away. Upon reaching Keith it took a moment for Lance to gather himself, the usually confident Keith everyone had come to know now laid there, looking as still as could be. Lance was at his side in mere moments, shaking Keith to wake him up before he knew what he was doing. 

"Keith. Hey come on man, you're really freaking me out. Wake up man." Lance's shaking rewarded him with a cough and a groan from the Red Paladin. Which helped to wash away that sinking feeling that he'd failed to save Keith. That Keith had died on him, wrapping his arm around Keith's waist and holding onto one of his limp arms Lance started to move. 

"I've got you, Kieth. I'm here."

[ discovery ] 

Keith wasn't allowed to go on ground missions for a while so Lance would often find him practicing as usual. Focusing on completing each level of the simulated training, if he failed he would restart the whole simulation from level one and work his way back up to where he was before. His lips were set into a thin straight line on his face, sweat dripping down his face and his breathing coming out in a ragged gasp of air from pushing himself. Only after failing the same simulation level five times did he collapse on the ground and looking right at Lance. 

"You know Lance... instead of just standing there how about training?" was the first thing Keith said to him earning a shrug from Lance while he walked towards the exhausted paladin. 

"And end up as tired and sweaty as you? No way Keith, training like a madman is your thing. Me? I'm already an expert at fighting I'm just sparing the simulation the humiliation of losing," Lance joked but soon found the air being knocked out of his lungs when Keith knocked his feet out from under him. Earning a groan while the sound of Keith laughing at what he'd done. "Yeah, yeah real funny Keith." 

"If you could have seen your face then it would be," a pause, "Hey Lance can I show you something?" 

"Sure what is it, Keith?" Lance replied before Keith pushed himself up off the floor and pulling the glove off of his right hand before showing it to Lance. In that moment the world seemed to silently come crashing down around him, the thing that Keith wanted to show him. The thing that was on Keith's hand looked exactly like the one on Lance's neck. 

It's the same mark. It all made sense now, why he felt so drawn to Keith, and why Keith was so drawn to him. Why the two of them circled around one another in a never ending loop. Maybe it's even why Lance so willingly chased after him back on Earth. It wasn't until Keith's hand touched his shoulder, the hand with the soul mark with _his_ on it did Lance snap out of it. 

"Whoa, Lance are you alright?" Keith looked genuinely worried about him, Lance quickly laughed it off. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. A-okay over here Keith. So is that what you wanted to show me?" Lance asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding high pitch while touching the back of his neck, thanking the God's that his jacket hid his mark from Keith's view. 

"Yeah. Coran made a comment about how it seemed different from normal markings that humans have but similar to what some Galran's soulmarks look like. Honestly, all I see is a venn diagram." 

"You mean Coran saw you without your gloves? Christ Keith and here I thought we were buds, but this is the first time I've seen you not wearing even one of them." Lance made a break to change the topic of the conversation, which thankfully Keith took and went into a whole conversation about how he does take his gloves off, but Lance is never around.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in this chapter, I wanted to have it up a few days ago, but I just didn't have it in me to post it. I'm kind of trying to find a way to earn a little bit of extra money while waiting for a callback or something from the job's I applied to. It's nerve-wracking af waiting for something that may or may not happen and I scream. My friends have suggested doing writing commission's to earn a little bit of pocket change, I might do it idk, but I'm not super confident in my skills but it's something I'd be willing to try to at least earn a few muns for tiny things. 
> 
> bUT away from that nugget, I do hope that all of you enjoy this chapter! This was originally being written before Season 2 was released and when the whole thing with Keith was revealed making a scene I scribbled down mostly due to simply love the idea of it being a thing.

[ worry ] 

Lance was to put it lightly worried about the recent discovery of who his soulmate was, now no need to twist anything. It's not like he hates Keith or anything, it's far from it. Their friendly rivalry and banter is something that enjoys greatly, but their friendship still felt so new as if it were a baby that had just been born. Lance didn't want to lose that friendship by simply sticking his foot out and telling Keith that they were soulmates. Nothing seemed like a bigger friendship killer than to tell the dude you were just starting to become friends with that hey were also soulmates! How crazy is that? Out of everyone in this tiny world, we somehow managed to meet one another and be stuck out in space togeather. Forming a giant robot and fighting off bad guys in space? 

Lance placed his hands over his face and just sighed. Sometimes the world really made it out to see if it was out to get him.

[ galran ] 

Things were... things were pretty tense in the Castle of Lions. After a recent battle with the Galran forces on a planet, Shiro had flashbacks to the time he was captured by the Galra and lost his arm. A set of coordinates, numbers that didn't make any sense were found buried deep in his mind. Allura allowed Shiro to follow the coordinates and upon reaching the location the coordinates directed them to everyone learned that it was a Galra rebel base. A place where several Galra who chose to not follow their leader and instead place agents inside, working against him, saving Voltron a few times in the process from an almost horrible end and also feeding information to several different bases scattered and well hidden in various systems. 

A battle broke out somewhere along the way, in the middle of it Red was heavily damaged and Keith was unresponsive but didn't seem to be in harm if the lacking of pain from his mark was any indication, but Shiro still called for someone to make sure that Keith made it back the Castle of Lion's safely. It felt strange to leave the other's to finish the fight, the other's were strong and could handle the battle on their own it just left a sour taste in his mouth to be leaving them to finish it when as a team he should remain to assist in the fight, but Keith is also a part of this team. Red is heavily damaged, and Keith was not responding could be one of three reasons. His com is down, making it impossible for him to respond to his teammates, two he could be out cold from the blow he took while inside Red and three... Lance didn't want to even think about the third reason as to why Keith wouldn't be responding. 

Upon reaching the Castle of Lions and upon exiting Blue he raced over to where Red was. The door opening only after pleading for a few minutes, followed by a few punches and kicks Lance was graced with the sight of Keith wobbling out of Red. Standing before him was Keith, but with several new features mixed with his human features. Purple fur, eyes that seemed unable to decide between human or gold, ears that were laid flat on his head. 

Galran.

[ you are you ] 

Keith had never felt such a sense of dread before in his life. Oh, wait, scratch that he has felt this familiar feeling pooling in his stomach before. Once when Shiro disappeared, and another time when he accepted that Shiro might have been gone for good, but that sense of dread was different then what he was feeling now while sitting in front of Lance. It felt oddly similar to the pain that bloomed on his hand when Sendak had made it into the Castle of Lions and when he sat outside Lance's cryo pod waiting for him to wake up, the mark on his hand then felt as if several yellow jackets had taken a liking to him and started stinging him multiple times in the same place. Keith almost wished that he had chosen to run away the moment Red had opened up. Because with his close proximity to Lance the tingling feeling that his mark has whenever he’s near Lance was going haywire. The tingling sensation was distracting and as annoying as Lance was to him on a good day. Placing his hand over the other giving it a small squeeze as if it would chase the sensation away. The silence hanging between the two of them was almost deafening to Keith, the silence that hung in the air between them caused Keith’s ears to start ringing. This silence was not only uncharacteristic of Lance but also very annoying.

“Can I trust you?” Lance was the first to break the silence, drawing Keith’s attention to him. Keith bit the inside of his mouth before answering with a simple yes. “What a relief! Welp, back to fixing Red. Poor girl can’t fix herself completely without help.” 

Keith was angry. His vision turned a slight red for the briefest of moments, a low growl made Lance stop in his place. Looking at Kieth with that same relieved expression from earlier. 

“Shouldn’t you be ratting me out to Shiro? To Allura? To Everyone? Shouldn’t you be taking me to the pods down below for holding?” 

“Why would I do that?” Lance asked, causing Keith’s eyes to narrow at his question the growling now simple background noise to him. Kind of like white noise. 

“Because I’m a Galra! I’m the thing we're fighting against! I’m the enemy of the universe! I’m the enemy of Voltron! I’m your enemy Lance! And I should be treated as such!”

“Enemy? Do you see an enemy around here Keith? Because I do not.” Keith felt something inside of him snap, the tingling sensation now felt like the buzzing of a thousand bee’s wings. The gap between him and Lance was gone in an instant. Next thing Keith realized that he was lifting the Blue Paladin off of the ground.

“Stop being so nonchalant about this Lance! It’s this part of your personality that will get you killed and everyone else as we-”

“Who are you?” Lance’s simple question stopped Keith’s train of thought in mere seconds. Blinking Keith gritted his teeth and replied. “I’m a Galra.” 

“Nope guess again.” 

“I’m your enemy.” the word ‘enemy’ left a sour taste on his tongue, and his now molasses like saliva was doing a poor job at keeping his mouth from feeling dry while the sound of Lance making a tsking noise at his response before speaking once again. 

“You’re Keith. The Red Paladin of Voltron.” 

Keith wasn’t sure when he had lowered back to the ground, just like he wasn’t sure when Lance’s arms wrapped around him in a hug. Holding him close. The warm and content feeling spreading from his mark to the rest of his body. The odd sense of peace he felt in Lance’s arms was confusing, but not entirely unpleasant. 

“You’ll be okay Keith. You’re still you regardless of how you look or what form you take.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so much talking, very weird but needed in this scene. There's a small bit of a time jump happening between each little snip-it how large is it? Don't ask me I only have a vague idea of how big or small each one is.


End file.
